


They don't know we know

by Thisishappening



Category: One Direction (Band), Zayn Malik (Musician)
Genre: Background Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson - Freeform, Gen, Inspired by FRIENDS, M/M, Secret Relationship, They don't know we know
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-21
Updated: 2016-09-21
Packaged: 2018-08-16 13:29:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8104216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thisishappening/pseuds/Thisishappening
Summary: Inspired by the Friends episode “The one where everyone finds out.”Liam and Zayn decide to see how long it takes the other boys to figure out they're together, added to them not allowed to leave their hotel, turns into a battle to see who wins.They don't know that we know that they know that we know.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Again, Inspired by Friends, my first ever fic for One Direction, hope you like it

Zayn grinned, his tongue pushed against his teeth, as he stifled his laugh at Liam’s dumbfounded face.

“You want to what?” Liam asked for the third time, making sure he was hearing the words coming out of Zayn’s mouth correctly.

“I want to see how long it takes the boys to figure it out.” Zayn repeated.

Liam blinked before shaking his head fondly “Only you Zaynie, only you.”

Zayn grinned, and Liam leaned in to kiss his stupid boy.

Zayn met him halfway, smiling into the kiss.

 

 

 

Louis stared at the scene happening right in front of his eyes, his jaw on the ground, when the hell had that happened, and why the hell hadn't they told him. 

He frowned, did they think that he would disapprove, or that he’d throw a fit, if anything he would throw a party, and collect his money from Niall and Harry.

He stopped when he heard “So, what exactly is this plan?”

“Leeyum, we see how long it takes them to figure it out, and no helping anyone.”

Louis tuned out of the conversation, and paused, a smile creeping on his face, unfortunately for Zayn and Liam, it wasn't the I’m-so-happy-for-my-friends smile, it was the they-want-war-they’ve-got-it smile. A plan already forming in his mind.

Louis walked back down the hallway, quietly before making as much racket as he could, without raising suspicion.

 

“Zayn, you in here?”

Louis walked in the room, and smirked softly, looking at Zayn and Liam who were sitting on different sofas, innocently watching TV.

“Yeah, Lou, what’s up?”

Louis remembered his original reason for coming here “When it’s time to eat, we’re having a vote, Harry wants Chinese, so we’re having Chinese.”

Zayn and Liam laughed at the look on Louis face, before agreeing, and Liam grabbed the extra X-Box controller, waving it in Louis’ general direction.

“Sorry, boys, Harry and I have had no alone time, so…”

“Too much info.” Liam and Zayn chorused, the words carrying a fond exasperation, like they’d been said many times.

Louis grinned at their faces, before leaving the room, his hands moving furiously over his phone, he passed Paul, and continued moving until he reached his room, missing Paul’s “Not again, God help us.”

 

 

Louis opened his room and pulled Harry and Niall in “Did I not say urgent, it took you half an hour.”

“We had to finish our game.”

Louis turned to look at Harry, who grinned at him, Louis’ frown slipping off, he was not immune to the dimples.

“Sit down, we have a very important issue to discuss.” Louis gestured to the chairs, and the snacks.

Niall picked up a cookie “Did you raid the hotel kitchen?”

“Desperate times call for desperate measures.”

Niall and Harry exchanged another look, before deciding to let Louis continue, they thought he was experiencing cabin fever, and if this was his way of getting over it, then so be it.

“Zayn and Liam are traitors.”

Niall blinked, and Harry raised his eyebrows, the questions written on their faces.

“The fuckers are dating, or at least sleeping with each other.”

Harry and Niall were grinning now.

“Finally.” Harry and Niall chorused.

“No, no finally, there is no finally Harold, they’re hiding it, seeing how long it takes us to figure it out, they declared war, and I always win.”

Harry grinned fondly at Lou’s theatrics, and decided to play along, maybe it would be fun for everyone. 

“So, how do we win?” Niall asked.

“I’m glad you asked Nialler, they don’t know that we know that they’re together.”

Louis stopped to look at the raised eyebrows before rolling his eyes “It’s obvious, seriously.”

Niall asked “A date?”

“Exactly Nialler, and seeing as Liam’s jealousy only comes out in puppy dog eyes or murderous rage, we’re going to set Liam on the date, then Zayn’s going to get jealous, have a possessive fit, and then I win.”

Harry doubted it would work so easily, but kept his mouth shut, only because of the manic look in Louis’ eyes, and maybe, only slightly because he was hurt that they hadn't told him.

Harry tuned back in to hear “… we’ll do it at tea.” 

 

Dinner/Tea Time

Harry smoothly broke the comfortable chatter with “So… Liam, it’s been a while since your last date.”

Liam froze in his seat, and Zayn’s smile slipped from his lips, both blurting out “What?!”

Louis grinned into his tea, Gotcha.

They had agreed that Harry would bring up the idea, Liam could never resist his puppy dog eyes.

 

Niall interjected “Yeah it has been a while, hasn't it?”

Zayn’s eyes narrowed at Louis’ impish smirk, and knew instantly, how the hell had he figured it out so quick.

Liam blushed and glanced around him, eager faces staring back at him “Thanks for the concern but I don’t -”

 

“Maybe you should.” Zayn interrupted.

“- think that’s a good idea.” Liam finished, staring incredulously at Zayn.

Zayn shrugged his shoulders at Liam, leaning uninterestedly in his chair, “It’ll do you good to do something in this bloody hotel.”

Louis’ jaw dropped, Niall and Harry exchanged their hundredth look of the day and sighed, this was going to turn into a full out war.

“Wait, what, you don’t mind?” Louis squawked.

“No, why would I?” Zayn asked smirking slightly.

“Because, you’re… you…” Louis spluttered.

“We’re what?” Zayn said amusedly.

 

Louis stopped abruptly, what the hell had just happened.

Liam dropped his chopsticks on the plate, and everybody looked up, “Zayn, we had that Mario tournament, remember?” he finished pointedly.

 

They left the table, leaving the boys to pick their jaws off the floor.

Niall shrugged, putting Liam’s plate on top of his empty one “Maybe it’s just casual.”

Louis and Harry both snorted “Have you seen them two, nothing between them could be strictly casual.”

 

 

“What the hell, Zayn?” Liam asked.

“They know” Zayn hisses “did you see Louis’ face?, and when was the last time Harry set you up on a blind date?, never.”

Liam looked at his pacing boyfriend and shook his head “Well, this date, I have to go on, is karma for this idea.”

Zayn stopped “Did you see their faces?, they don't know that we know that they know.”

Liam blinked from where he was sat on the couch, arm reaching out and pulling Zayn down on his lap.

Zayn dropped down and Liam smiled at him “Hi.”

Zayn stopped thinking about anything else “Hi.”

 

 

 

Liam walked out of his room, this small break was great, apart from the part where they couldn't leave the hotel, the silver lining being that he didn't have to sneak out, because he was sharing the room with Zayn.

 

Liam sat down with his cereal, and looked up to see the sly grin on Harry’s face “Have a good sleep?”

Liam blushed, muttering an answer, and going back to his cereal, it was too early for this.

 

Harry grinned, he had been walking to Liam’s and Zayn’s room yesterday to apologise, when he had heard the… interesting noises coming from that room.

Louis dropped into the seat next to Harry, and smiled into his cup of tea. The ball was in his court, they didn’t know that they knew that they knew they knew. Louis shook his head at the sentence, it was making his head hurt, but it didn't matter, he’ll have won before the end of the day.

Louis waited until Zombie Zayn dropped into the seat next to Liam, before asking “So Liam, Harry’s friend, he’s coming over to the hotel for your date tonight, you’ll have your own room.”

Liam spluttered at the answer and Zayn was definitely awake.

“You only asked me yesterday!” Liam said incredulously.

Harry shrugged “I work fast.”

 

Liam stared at his friends, and his boyfriend who seemed to be planning, and rolled his eyes fondly, they could play the games, he had a gym session with Mark.

Zayn stopped his planning and smiled at Liam, who stopped momentarily, before leaving the room.  
Louis smiled, his best friends were disgustingly obvious, ignoring the voice in his head that was telling him he was exactly the same with Harry, the voice sounded suspiciously like Zayn.

 

 

 

 

Liam pulled at the tie that he’d been forced to wear for the “date”, after Zayn had given him a hickey the size of Texas.

 

Liam was sat at a table, placed in a spare hotel room, and looked at the flickering candle, hoping his “date” finished at lot faster than the time it took the candle to burn out.

He looked up as Zayn came in and smiled at him.

“Anyone else, Zaynie…”

Zayn stopped and grinned at Liam, “Have fun, and if he tries to kiss you, punch him, in the nose, I'm not even kidding.”

Liam smiled, his arms winding around Zayn’s waist, who’s arms instinctually wrapped around Liam. They smiled at each other, lips inches apart, when they heard the sound of people coming down the hallway.

Zayn groaned extracting himself from Liam’s arms “See you after the date.”

Liam hid his grin, when Harry’s friend, called Nick, walked in, and Zayn looked him up and down, before existing with the other three boys.

 

Liam was staring at his fork moving around the plate, when Nick spoke “So, how long have you been in love with Zayn?”

Liam froze, dropping his fork, and looking up at Nick who was smiling sympathetically at Liam.

“What?, How… How…”  
“You haven't stopped talking about him, the whole time.”

Liam winced, he hadn't wanted to go on this date, he hated feeling like he was using someone, although he was fairly sure Nick already knew.

Nick laughed before throwing Liam a bone “I won’t tell Harry, pinky promise.”

Liam looked at him the fond look coming over his face, the one that appeared every time he spoke about Zayn. He told Nick the full story, the relationship, Zayn and Louis’ prank wars, and to why he was sat there now.

 

Nick smiled “Want to prank them yourself?”

Liam looked up and Nick grinned “Follow my lead.”

 

They walked out of the room, moving down the floor, and watched as the boys came out of the room, and Zayn came out of the elevator, catching Nick’s wink, and watched as he titled his head, so it looked like he was kissing Liam to the other boys’ who couldn't see much of anything.

 

Zayn grinned and walked out of the elevator, casually asking Liam how his date had gone, as the two of them walked down the hallway to their own room.

 

Once again Louis, Harry and Niall were left to pick their jaws of the floor.

 

After a few minutes of them staring after them, Louis was the first to snap out of it, “Right, thats it.” 

He grabbed a wrist in each hand, and lugged the boys after him, bursting into the hotel room Zayn and Liam had entered.

He smiled at them, picking up the empty beer bottle and smiling at Liam and Zayn, he held up the bottle and announced “Truth or Truth.”

 

“Liam, sit next to Nialler, and Zayn sit next to Harry.” Louis announced, before letting Liam do the honours.

 

The bottle pointed at Harry, and Liam asked “Why did you set me up on a date?”

“You looked like you needed fun.” Harry responded.

Both Liam and Zayn rolled their eyes, before the game continued, everyone answering with vague answers, before Louis’ turn landed on Zayn, who looked up and sighed knowing he’d lost the game.

“Are you in a relation… no, are you in a romantic relationship with Liam James Payne, yes or no?”

Zayn grinned, he didn't even care about the game anymore, and looked at Louis, before turning and leaning over Niall to pull Liam in by his shirt , and kissing him in “public” for the first time.

Zayn pulled back from Liam, facing Louis “Does that answer your question?”

Harry and Niall laughed, pulling Liam into a hug, as Zayn slipped in next to Louis “You know I never thought you’d be against it, it was just, I wanted it to be just us.”

The three of them watched as Louis pulled Zayn’s arm around his shoulder, and leaned into him, before starting his interrogation “Start from the start.”

Liam and Zayn smiled at each other, before Liam started the story, “Well, you remember that girl that kept flirting with Zayn…”

 

 

 

 

Liam and Zayn broke apart, staring at the popcorn that was now littering the floor, and looked up at the culprit, who was staring at them guiltless and with raised eyebrows “Just because you can make out in front of us-”

“Leave them alone, Lou.” Harry spoke from where his head was pillowed on Louis’ lap.

“-fine, but can we watch, I want to know what happens.”

Zayn grinned and leaned back into his original position, and whispered “I love you.” 

Liam looked down, his own smile painting his face “I love you too.”

The End.

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave a kudos and a comment, thank you for reading :)
> 
> Oh, and feel free to visit my [Tumblr](https://athisishappening.tumblr.com/) for prompts, messages or otherwise :)


End file.
